Belonging to Darkness
by TsumikoHan
Summary: Not AU; post movie. No specific pairings, just hints. Whole summary inside: Ed and Al are living out their lives in Munich Germany, searching for the uranium bombs. One day they come across a "religion" that is anything but human...
1. Chapter 1

KittyKat2009: I...actually can't believe I did this. I still haven't updated my other story. I feel so bad, but this has been in my head for the longest time. I wanted to make a Fullmetal Alchemist story that had vampires in it, but I was afraid to because of the dynamics of it all. But, I looked and found other FMA vampire stories and I was so happy so I decided to finally do this. This was originally going to be different, but I decided to do some changes.

Summary: Post-Movie The Elric brothers are finally united, but at the cost of staying in our world. Whereas in their world the boys had to fight for their lives in almost every town, their life in this world is almost peaceful. The Nazis haven't been bothering them and the Thule Society is probably gone. So, the only thing the boys should have to worry about is finding the uranium bombs made by Huskisson, which should have been easy enough...At least, that's what they hoped.

One day the boys are approached by someone from a cult called _Lilith Invictus_. In it contain beings with abilities that are beyond the human condition. They gather humans into their "religion," promising them eternal youth and life. The leader has her eyes set only for Edward Elric, the one who has knowledge of the Gate and takes him, while sending Al away to be killed. Luckily, someone saves Al, but now Ed is captured and probably won't be set free until he complies to his captors' plans. What is their plan? Will Al rescue Ed in time?

Pairing: Onesided EdxOC (it's just lust), mostly, but I think I'll add hints of an AlxOC for the hell of it.

Warning: This is rated M for language (mostly on Ed's part), gore and sexual implications (doesn't mean there'll be lemons!). Also there will be slight religous themes, and a little of it is inspired by _The Davinci Code _(very well written and amusing, but truely a load of bull). If any of you have read the book or have seen the movie then you might know what I'm talking about later on.

Note: This is opposite from my first Fullmetal Alchemist oneshot.

Disclaimer: I don't own Fullmetal Alchemist or its characters. Just this plot and my own characters. (That includes the new villains. Hey, this is my first time making a villain of my own...)

* * *

_Premonition: n. 1. a presentiment of the future; a foreboding: 2. a forewarning (1)_

Preface

_I have always considered myself a good fighter. Probably not the best, even though I do beat Brother during our sparring matches, but I'm still a good fighter. Despite that however, I never resorted to violence first hand, unless it was necessary. That's how I was like in our old world, and I plan on sticking to that morality in this world._

_Unfortnately, this is one of those times._

_Back in our world, Ed and I went through all sorts of dangerous things while we were looking for a way to regain our bodies. We faced Homunculi, con artist Priests and a Homunculus version of our dead mother, for whom we broke one of alchemy's most forbidden laws in order to try to bring her back to life. But, alchemy's first law is Equivalent Exchange: you can't have something without giving something in return. You can guess what we "gave," because that's too long a story and you've probably heard it before. _

_In this world, the only threats I've seen so far in this world--well the part me and Ed are in--are the Nazis and the former Thule Society. And even those can't compare with what we went through. After that incident in Munich, the Nazis have been quiet so, they haven't really been bothering Ed and me. As for the Thule Society, I think that's pretty much over and done with after that crazy lady, Eckheart came back from the Gate as a monster and was killed. Not only that, but Brother and I have a uranium bomb to find and that hasn't been very easy, but Brother told me a few days ago that he might have found a lead. Other than all of that, I think our life in this new world has been, at least semi-easy._

_Until now, that is._

_I feel something thrust into my hand, something cold and hard. I looked down at it and was about to drop it in my horror but someone was already pulling me to the corner of the room, in order to escape what looked like speeding bullets passing us._

"Come on, move it!" _the girl pulling me shouted as she shot our assailants with her own revolver. How she could use it, I had no clue. I just met the girl. _

_You are probably wondering, what is peace loving Alphonse Elric doing holding a gun, running from crazy homicidal people, and, overall, with a person he just met? Here's another question you should be asking yourself: Where's Edward in all this?_

_Those are the questions I keep asking myself, especially the last one. And I really wish I had the answers, but I don't. From the way she keeps protecting me, I can assume this girl has the answers, but at the moment I can't tell._

_All I can tell you is how this all got started._

--

Chapter 1: Beginning

_I guess I can truly say this all started when that person rang our doorbell and Ed answered. I say this because--well, you'll see..._

Edward Elric and his younger brother Alphonse were sitting at the table in their house (well, not really theirs; Gracia and Hughes let them staye there), eating breakfast. Ed was sitting with a newspaper in his prosthetic arm, covered in a cloth glove, and leaning his human arm on the table. His eyes were narrow as they darted across the paper, scanning for any words that featured his particular interest. Unfortunately, there was nothing. Nothing that mentioned Huskisson, or his uranium bomb. He cursed silently and threw down the paper on the table. Al looked up from his scrambled eggs to see his older brother stabbing his food with such ferocity that he could imagine his brother thinking of Roy Mustang's face as he was doing it. The thought of their old friend nearly brought a smile, but Al's concern for Ed overcame the nostalgia.

"Brother, is everything all right?" he asked softly.

Ed scoffed. "What do you think? I swear, Al, it's almost like the guy doesn't exist anymore or something." He paused, leaning his cheek on his fleshed palm. "Which is really weird, if you ask me. I mean, that Fritz Lang guy showed me the picture with Huskisson with a bunch of other scientists, and told me where the picture was taken, but when we got there...Nobody. Not a damn soul."

Al lowered his head, remembering how disappointed his brother was when they had first looked for Huskisson. They had first gone to where the picture of Huskisson and his bomb had been taken and had asked questions. The people obviously knew who they were talking about but they kept their mouths shut. Al recalled the look that was in the people he asked. It a look of fear, but of what neither of the Elric brothers knew.

That was about a few months ago, and they still haven't found anything.

Al looked up and put on a smile to make his brother cheer up, somewhat. "Don't worry so much Brother," he said. "So, we haven't found the bombs yet. We'll find them eventually"--Al paused suddenly looking thoughtful--"It's just like when we were searching for the Philosopher's Stone--and that search took about four years."

For a second Ed looked sad, as he remembered those days. The wild goose chases, the researches, the brief triumphs and most of all, the disappointments. Those days were ones Ed often gave Ed mixed feelings. They made him sad, yet also nostalgic in a weird way. Especially now, since it was official that he'd never go back home. But he had his brother with him, and that was enough.

Wasn't it..?

Suddenly the doorbell rings, startling both Ed and Al. Ed got up and went to answer the door. When he opened the door an old woman, probably in her sixties, holding a pamphlet was smiling up at him with squinted blue eyes. Her skin was pale and covered with wrinkles. Her hair must have once been black because it was a dark gray, with random black hairs sticking out. She was wearing a cardigan sweater and a long skirt that covered her ankles. She was holding a basket on her arm Her shoes were small, probably because her feet were small Ed guessed. Her smile contained all the stereotypical sweetness a granny had to offer.

Too bad Ed didn't fall for it.

"Okay lady, what do you want?" he asked rudely.

The lady looked stunned for a few minutes, her blue eyes blinking a few times.

"Brother!" Al called reprimandingly, from inside. He got up from his chair and walked over to the door, bowing to the lady apologetically. "Sorry about him, miss, he's not a morning person."

Ed scowled at Al, who just scowled back.

"Oh it's fine, young man, really," she said feebly. She held up the pamphlet. "I just wanted to see if you would like to join our organization."

"Our?" Ed asks skeptically.

The woman smiles. "My other associates are helping out the unfortunate today, so it's just me." Again, she held out the pamphlet.

Ed eyed it warily, not trusting this woman or whatever she was a part of. Al, although he didn't really trust her completely either, took the pamphlet and looked at it, just to be polite. As he looked through it, Ed kept his eye on the lady.

"So, what is your--organization called?"

"_Lilith Invictus_," she answered mysteriously.

"I see," Ed drawled unimpressed.

Meanwile Al was looking through the pamphlet. The first thing you notice about the small booklet is what was on the cover: a five petal black rose and the name of the "orginization." Throughout the book, Al scimmed the pages and saw random words such as "goddess," or "Lilith." Those words were mentioned a lot. Then he got to the page that had the picture of a church on it with men, women and children in black hoods, and then he knew.

"Ed," Al said softly.

Ed looked at Al. He never used his name unless it was very serious. His brother nodded towards the book, and then Ed looked down at it. What he saw and read made his eyes narrow.

"So, you're a cult," Ed said bluntly.

The woman's glinted for a brief second, and then she smiled kindly. "We like to be called an organization or perhaps a way of life. But we're not a cult, oh no."

Ed shrugged, keeping his face neutral. "Whatever you call yourselves, me and my brother are not interested."

The woman looked offended, but still carried that smile. "I know that it looks strange, but we really--"

Al interrupted smiling kindly. "Ma'am, we're sure that everything you say is true, (Ed coughed, getting a subtle jab in the ribs from Al), but we really aren't into that sort of stuff."

The woman's mouth twitched, and then her smile got small. "May the Dark Mother watch over you." She bowed and then walked away onto the streets of Munich.

Ed waited until she was out of sight before snatching the pamphlet from Al and ripped it into millions of pieces. Al sweatdropped as the pieces of paper fell onto the porch.

"Was...that necessary?" he asked.

Ed just scowled and walked back inside the house. Al watched after him, concern in his eyes. Out of the corner of his eyes he saw Gracia with her broom in hand, looking at him curiously. She really did look like the Gracia Hughes back in Central...

"Is everything all right?" she asked.

Al smiled. "Yeah, Mrs.-I mean Ms. Gracia, everything's fine."

When she was gone he followed Ed inside, closing the door on his way.

* * *

Meanwhile, in the corner of the building, the old woman watched with cold, blue eyes. And she wasn't alone.

"So, the alchemist and his brother refuse to join," a smooth female voice said.

The old woman turned to the woman, an apologetic look on her face. "I'm so sorry, my Mistress."

The woman stepped out of the shadows and revealed herself to look like a young twenty year old woman wearing a black hood and cape that covered her entire body, up to her ankles. On her feet were similar shoes that the old woman had. She removed her hood and let her curly blond hair cascade perfectly around her shoulders. Her skin was pale and flawless, as was her curvy figure. There was not an ounce of baby fat on her stomach, or any part of her body for that matter. Although she looked young, her green-silver eyes revealed knowledge beyond her years.

Ignoring the old woman's incessant apologizing, she eyed the house where the Elrics resided, calculating her next move. She really didn't need the younger brother; according to that gypsy, it was the elder Elric who had most of the power. But, she might need him in case the older brother refused to do what they wanted. Then she could dispose of him--after all, the so-called alchemist prodigy was the one with the knowledge of the Gate. And that was all the knowledge she needed to seek. All she'd have to do is gain Edward's trust and make him think that they will release him and his brother, when in reality, the Mistriss doesn't intend to let Ed out at all, and she certainly doesn't intend to keep his brother. After all, he would be no use to her or _Lilith Invictus_.

Neither would Edward, if his powers proved to be false, but Mistress didn't want to kill him, not after she saw what he looked like. His tan skin, strong jaw, golden hair, and matching eyes made him too beautiful to be killed, in her view. Not to mention the slight hint of muscle under his clothes, and the obvious fake leg and arm he had. He'd obviously seen much action. Sure, he was shorter than most of the men in their "organization," but that seemed to add to his charm. And then there was his blood...The one called Mistress licked her lips as she thought of when she caught the elder Elric's scent. Never before had she ever smelt blood like his. It was like it was beckoning her, to taste it, to suck the boy dry until that bronze skin of his turned as white as the snow in the winter and until his skin felt as cold. But she was no Feedling; she had much more control over her urges.

Besides, there would be time for all that when she had Edward under her control.

"Mistress?" the old lady's voice brought her from her thoughts.

She looked down at the old woman. The woman returned her look with eyes full of fear and hunger. She was awaiting if she was to be punished or rewarded. The Mistress smirked, relishing in the woman's fear, but still she was not unkind. The woman did try, albeit not enough, but she tried. She pulled her sleeve back and pulled out a knife from out of her cloak. The woman's eyes widened greedily as Mistress slit her wrist, causing a black-red liquid to drip out, and offered it to the woman.

"Oh, thank you, Mistress," the old woman said, tears of joy falling from her eyes. Then she clamped her mouth on the younger woman's wrist and proceeded to suck out the liquid. It was murky, like dirty water, but it tasted sweet, with only a hint of bitterness.

The Mistress watched it all with a bored expression. Feeling someone suck your blood from you isn't really as painful as many thought, especially if you no longer knew the feeling of pain like she did. She has been so used to giving blood to the members of their organization that there was no pain in doing so for each person.

Slowly, the old woman's features began to change. Her hair began to turn black and grow longer and silky. Her face lost all of their wrinkles and became smooth and youthful. The once old woman picked her head up and stood up straight so she could face her leader eye to eye. When she realized her mouth was dirty with her blood, she wiped it with a tissue she got from her sweater pocket.

"What are your next orders, Mistress?" she asked monotone. Her eyes were now empty and set, as if she was in a trance.

The Mistress looked back at the house where the Elrics were inside. "We'll come back for them tonight. I've got a plan to get Edward in our grasp. For now, though, let's go back and regroup with the others."

Both women turned to go onto the streets of Munich. Then they disappeared in the crowd, as if they had never been there at all.

* * *

That night, Ed and Al were sleeping soundly. Or at least Al was. For some reason, Ed kept tossing and turning, not feeling sleep take him over. He was a bit unnerved by this; he was usually a great sleeper. Eventually, he decided that taking a walk was a good idea. He sat up in his bed and put a beige glove over his prosthetic arm. Then he walked out of his room and then out of the house, taking great care of not waking up Al.

There was already some people out on the streets, but not as much as during the day. Edward wasn't really surprised; people seemed to enjoy night time the best. It was like that back in his world too...

He shook his head, trying to clear those thoughts. After getting Alphonse back, he pushed all thoughts of their old home out of his head. He tried to convince himself that this was their world now and they can't leave it, not now with war drawing so near. Still, Ed couldn't help but think of home. It was where he grew up in, not in this strange place that lacked alchemy, or at least the alchemy he knew. He vaguely wondered if Al thought this too...

Without realizing it, Ed's feet led him to a bar. It was a bar where most of Munich went to. He looked it over and was about to turn away when he heard a smooth voice behind him.

"You don't want to step inside?"

Edward turned his head toward the voice to come face to face with a woman he'd never seen before. She was about twenty years old, give or take, and stood a few inches taller than him. She had wavy blond hair that was clipped into a bun and looked messy, but the few hairs that escaped the clip framed her face so perfectly that she almost looked like a doll. Her skin was pale, so pale that Ed mistook her for a homunculus for a second, and there were faint black lines that could have been her veins. She was wearing a fancy, spaghetti strapped, maroon dress which fit over her hour glass figure quite nicely. He at first thought her eyes were silver, but then looked closer and saw that they were a light green that just looked silver because of the lit lamp on the bar's window. Had Edward been an average kind of teenage boy, he would have been drooling and thinking lustful thoughts about the living doll before him.

Luckily Edward isn't like that; he thinks with his brain not with his balls.

The woman before him seemed to think otherwise, because she started walking toward him, swinging her hips sensuosly, which was definitely intentional. To Ed, she stalked toward him like a cat cornering its prey. Luckily, he wasn't in a corner. Ed turned his back on her and started back for the house, but was stopped when an ice cold hand gripped his real shoulder. He shivered against his will. The hand felt like a dead person's hand and he'd know from personal experience. He's felt a dead body before.

"What's wrong handsome?" the woman breathed a chilly wind on his neck, making gooseflesh pop on his skin. "Scared?"

Ed found his voice immediately. "Who the hell are you and what do you want?" he asked, trying to sound indignant.

"I hear you are trying to find a man named Huskisson," the woman replied. "And those bombs he created."

That spurred Edward to move out of the woman's grip and glare at her. Neither he nor Al had told anyone of their search or why they were doing it. How could this woman, a mere stranger, know?

"So, what if I am? What's it to you?" he retorted.

The woman smirked like a cat. "Why a lot of things, Edward Elric."

Ed's eyes widened. "How did you--?"

"I have been watching you for some time now," she said crossing her arms over her chest. "You and your brother."

Ed's eyes narrowed at the mention of Al. Usually when a suspicious person mentions a family member, they don't say it for the sake of a good conversation. At least, that's what he's learned from experience.

The woman chuckled. "It's all right, Edward. I mean you two no harm. I just want to end your problems before they begin."

Ed raised an eyebrow. "That so? Mind if I ask how?"

The woman smiled. "Of course not." Then she beamed, her eyes turning jovial as she looked like she came up with a great idea. "Tell you what: Tomorrow night I'll meet up with you two and tell you what I know. In return, you have to do something for me."

"A catch," Ed said sardonically. "I'm _so_ surprised." He sighed and regarded her lazily. "What do I have to do?"

She smirked. "All in good time, my boy." She held out her hand for him to shake. "Do we have a deal?"

That certainly convince Ed to trust her. She almost resembled Lust, in both mind and body, but he could definitely see differences. Besides, he saw Lust's double when jumping on that Roma caravan with Al.

"How do I know I can trust you?" Ed said finally.

She laughed, a sound that sounded like bells. But not the good kind, Ed thought. Wasn't there a phrase: "The death bells toll for thee."

"Think about it Edward," she crooned. "If you pass this information up, you and your brother will be running all over Europe for a man that may have sold his bombs by the time you find him. If you ever find him at all..." Again her hand jutted out in front of him, waiting to seal the deal.

Ed recalled the times when he and his brother were searching for the Philosopher's Stone. Should he really put himself and his brother through that again, especially since there was a strong lead right in front of him? He didn't trust this woman, but he wasn't too keen in tiring Al out with fruitless searching. Or himself for that matter. That's why he shook her hand.

"Okay lady, you've got yourself a deal," he said.

"Please, Edward, call me Dinah," the woman said, a victorious smirk on her face.

Meanwhile, someone hid in the shadows close to where Ed and "Dinah" were standing. They had seen what had happened and weren't exactly happy with Edward's choice. The person stared intensely at the woman and then at the one who had practically sold his--and possibly his brother's--soul to her.

* * *

KittyKat2009: I just noticed something that I forgot to mention above. No body really reviews my stories, except for my Naruto one. Hmm, am I a bad writer, or do I come off as arrogant? If I do, I'm sorry; I try not to. Anyway, nobody has to review this, but it would be nice. If anyone does read this and dislikes it, please say so in a mature way.

Note: Yes, I know that vampires don't exist in Ed and Al's universe, but technically they aren't in their world are they? They are in ours. Plus, in the time period they are in, people still thought of vampires back then, and many cults did start during this time. Except the cult of my own creation here; this never existed, as far as I know.

As for the thing with the uranium bombs, do you guys remember when the Fuher look alike, (I _think_ that his name is Fritz Lang; if I'm wrong tell me), showed Ed the picture of Huskisson and those scientist with that bomb? I thought that since he had a photo, then he must know where it was taken, so I'm sure that wherever the photo was taken that's where Ed and Al would go to start searching. In case you didn't notice, there's a slight foreshadow concerning those bombs, which will end with me messing with history a bit. So, if there are history lovers out there, I'm sorry.

1. I'll leave random definitions where it's significant. I think that will make things interesting.


	2. Chapter 2

KittyKat2009: To reply to a reviewer, yes, I'm sorry. It involves vampires. And I hope my grammar is better here.

* * *

Chapter 2: Strangers

The night was still young. The sun was now setting, so there were still remnants of its color bathing the sky. She looked up at the sky and then at the disappearing the sun. She secretly wished she could watch the sun completely go down, but she didn't have the time. That boy was meeting the "Mistress" tonight.

She had to get ready.

* * *

"I still don't really understand Brother. Where are we supposed to meet her?" Al asked his brother as he put on his jacket. They were getting ready to meet this person Ed had met the night before, who supposedly had a lead on Huskisson.

"I don't really get it either," Ed said shrugging on his own jacket. "Apparently, the lady just said we go meet her. She didn't mention any meeting place, no meeting time." He then turned to face Al, crossing his arms across his chest, mimicking the woman called Dinah.

" 'Not to worry, hot stuff, I'll come to you,' " Ed said, badly doing her voice. Then he put his arms up in the air in exasperation. "I swear, if she weren't a few years older than me, I'd call her a pedophile!"

Al raised an eyebrow. "You know her age?"

Ed shrugged. "Not really, but I'd say she's between twenty-one or under."

Al chuckled as they walked out the door. Not so much because it was funny. He just wanted to settle the bad feeling in his stomach. To him, it was strange that someone would come to them right when they were in a slump about their searching. Was it coincidence? Or fate? Being related to Ed, he had grown up not really believing in fate or destiny, but his mind was open enough if evidence was placed in front of him. Still, he felt uneasy. The whole situation was too convenient to be mere coincidence, but the small cynical part of him didn't think it was fate's doing either.

The Elrics walked down the streets of Munich. It wasn't dark yet, so there were still plenty of people around. They were buying from shops, going into bars, and many other things. Once the boys were near the bat, Al noticed that there were some men gathered around one another in the front. They were wearing long, black coats and black hats. They were speaking to each other with inhuman speed. One of them caught Al's eye and glared at him. Al swallowed nervously under the icyness of the glare, and then quickly turned his head.

Ed looked at his brother and saw how pale he was. "Hey, you okay?"

Al looked at him, trying to hide his nervousness. "Yeah, I'm fine."

Ed didn't look quite convinced, but he didn't bug him about it. Instead, he just walked to the front of the bar and leaned against the wall, crossing his arms. Al was next to him looking around nervously as people walked inside the bar. Most of the people passing them either glared at the boys or smirked at them with amused eyes. Those who smirked were mostly women who were scantily dressed. Ed would sometimes glare back at them, causing them to laugh or giggle. With each passing person, Alphonse just got more nervous and uneasy.

Neither of the boys knew how long they waited. To Al, it seemed like hours, but in reality it was probably an hour and a half. By then, the streets of Munich were practically empty. Ed always found it strange that most people would go in their house at early hours when the night should have been when most people would come out and "party," or something like that. Alfons told him something about it once. He said that it was mostly superstition. Some people believed that demons came out at night.

Ed was brought from his memories when he felt his brother tap him on the shoulder. He looked questioningly at Al, who nodded towards a girl who was walking toward them. She was much more petite than "Dinah," but her body was just as curvy as her body was. She had a bob of red hair tied into a bun and green eyes. When she walked into the moonlight, the boys saw that her skin was a pale peach color, with freckles on her cheeks. Though, Ed mentally noted, her skin wasn't as pale as "Dinah's." Her dress looked like that of a maid's outfit, only the skirt was shorter.

She smiled sweetly at the Elrics. "The Mistress has sent me."

Ed quirked an eyebrow. " 'Mistress?' "

"Oh, I'm sorry," the girl said in that sweet tone. "I meant Dinah." She gestured inside the bar. "She sent me to tell you that she'll meet you both shortly. In the meantime, you can go inside."

Ed and Al shared a glance, and then went inside. When they did, they saw that the inside of the bar wasn't anything they expected. People inside actually dressed nice and were sitting at ornate tables. The floor was shining and above the Elrics' heads were chandeliers. There were women waiting the tables, who dressed like the girl they had just met. One of them approached the boys. She was tall, pale, with straight black hair and dark brown eyes. In her arms was a stack of what looked like menus.

"Are you two Mistress' guests?" she asked sweetly.

Ed scowled, feeling uneasy. Al noticed and he reluctantly replied for him. "Uh, yeah."

She smiled. "Would you like me to get you two a table?"

Al glanced at his brother, who shrugged. "Sure, why not?" Ed said, trying to hide his hostility.

The girl led them to a table on the far side of the room. She handed them two menus and bowed. "Call me if you want to order."

The boys waited until she was far away to start talking.

"I thought this was a bar," Al mused.

"It is," Ed replied quietly. "Or at least it looks that way from the outside. I've never been inside it."

"So, why is it so fancy?" Al whispered.

"Never mind that," Ed whispered back. "Have you noticed anything about the people in this place?"

Al quirked an eyebrow and actually took a look at the other people in the place. He was shocked to see that when he did, he noticed people avoid his gaze with a hasteful turn of the head. He then felt the burning gaze from behind him. Even the waitresses took the time to glance at both him and his brother.

'They're watching us..? But why?' Al thought with narrowed eyes.

Ed leaned back against his seat, trying to ignore the people's stares. Not that he wasn't used to it or anything. Plenty of people back in their old world stared at both him and his brother. But back then it was because of their...condition. These people didn't stare at them as if they were strange. They looked as if they were waiting for something...

'Or someone,' he thought.

* * *

Meanwhile, a girl outside the "bar" was looking into the window with wide blue eyes. Other than her eyes, most of her face was hidden under a gray hood and cloak.

"Damn," she cursed. "There's too many."

Her eyes wandered until she saw the boy from the night before. Sitting across from him was another boy who looked slightly taller than the first. She mentally concluded that was Edward Elric's brother.

'I won't be able to rescue them with so many in there,' she thought, feeling guilt. 'I'll just have to wait until the time is right.'

* * *

Just then everyone in the room started cheering. Ed and Al turned their heads around to see that someone new had stepped into the room. It was the woman that Ed had seen the previous night. Her hair was out and loose, falling on her shoulders like in a sultry way. Her long dress was velvet green with long sleeves and a low cut. Around her shoulders was some dead animal, like what the wealthy ladies wear.

'Great,' Ed thought with a sardonic smile. 'She's a flirt and an animal killer.'

Al gaped at the woman. Not for her looks, but because the thing on her shoulders looked oddly like a cat. And being the animal lover he was he put his hand to his mouth, trying hard not to gag. He turned away and downed the glass of water one of the waitresses gave him and his brother. Ed noticed this and eyed him with a concerened look.

"You all right, Al?" he asked.

Al swallowed the water, making the bile go down. "Y-yeah."

He looked back at the woman, (making sure not to look at thing on her shoulders), and noticed that she fit the description of the woman Ed was supposed to be meeting. He looked at him and nodded towards the woman, nonverbally asking if that was her. Edward nodded and stood up from his seat, making his way to "Dinah."

Dinah's face brightened when she saw him. "Edward, you came!" she said, taking off her fur shroud and handing it to the redheaded waitress from before. She walked towards Ed, her eyes looking him up and down as she did.

"I'm so glad you could make it darling," she purred. Her arms went around his neck, making their faces become closer. Too close for Ed.

Ed ducked out of the embrace, and scowled at the woman. "Okay, Dinah. Give me the information and let's get this over with."

The redhead waitress, who had been smiling, glared at Edward with such ferocity that it almost scared Al, who was still sitting at the table. She had seemed so nice when they had first seen her. Seeing her mad gave Al the creeps. Ed just stared at her with a quirked eyebrow.

"How dare you talk to Mistress like that, scum?!" she growled. She lifted her arm, but was stopped by Dinah's hand.

"Grace, it's all right," Dinah smiled sweetly down at the girl. "Edward is just _eager,_ that's all."

The girl, Grace flushed under her Mistress's gaze and stood back. "Yes, Mistress."

Dinah turned to Ed and took him by the arm. Then she practically dragged him back to the his and Al's table.

"I hope that it's all right that I sit down with the legendary Elric brothers," she said as she grabbed an empty chair and sat down.

"Legendary..?" Ed asked.

"...Elric brothers?" Al finished.

"Why of course," Dinah said, spreading her arms. "There's not a person here who knows not of you two."

When seeing the boys' confused faces, her eyes glinted.

"After all, it's not everyday we hear about two boys coming from another world."

Ed let out a small noise, showing his nervousness, while Al gulped. Both brothers exchanged scared looks. How could she--no--how could anyone in this room know their secret? Nobody else knew except for Alfons Heidrich, Noah, and probably the entire Thule Society. Heidrich was dead, so there was no way it could be him. The Thule Society had probably disbanded now, since they didn't bother to chase the Elrics. That only left...

"Don't worry," Dinah smirked. "The gypsy girl wasn't the first to tell about you two. In fact, we knew about you two already."

"You did?" Al asked.

Dinah nodded and continued to explain. "For a brief time, our orginization--of which ever person in this bar is a member of--had been corresponding with the Thule Society. One of the main members, a woman by the name of Eckhart proposed a way to go into a different world. A world called Shamballa. I had shaken her off as insane at first. After all, the Thule Society is connected with the Nazis, a bunch of disillusioned German men who have nothing better to do but follow another disillusioned man who is obviously not well in the head. What need did I have for a bunch of mindless humans?

"But then I met Hohenheim Elric, your father," her eyes sparkled with amusement as she saw the boys, especially Edward visibly wince. "He turned out to be part of the Thule Society and a once inhabitant of that Other World. A place where magic exists. I then reconsidered Eckhart's offer and then later joined in her plight." She paused, standing her arms straight by the elbows and linking her fingers. "You see, I was especially interested in the theory of traveling between worlds. But, unfortunately your father just couldn't do it. We needed someone else. And then, Eckhart found you, my dear Edward."

Ed chose this moment to scoff. "Tch, is that how it happened? I remember differently."

"You didn't see me that night Edward, but I was there when it happened," Dinah continued, ignoring Edward's comment. "I was there when your father died under the teeth of that dragon. When the Gate opened. When you went inside. When Eckhart and her soldiers went through the Gate in that ship. And I was ther after everything happened." Her eyes clouded as she remembered. "I saw what Eckhart became when she came out of the Gate and I was there when you and your brother closed the Gate."

Her eyes lifted to look into Edward's. Then she smiled. "I tried afterwards to try to re-open the Gate, but unfortunately I couldn't. For some reason, that special gift was given to you two humans."

Ed's eyes narrowed. "What does this have to do with Huskisson and the bombs?"

She blinked, as if she forgot. Then she laughed. "Oh, yes. Huskisson and his uranium bombs." Her hand was put on her chin as she recalled the odd man, also from "Shamballa." "I found him months before meeting Eckhart and the Thule Society. I was still trying to find a way to find the secrets of travelling to other worlds. He had arrived with these odd ideas that were way ahead of our time. And he carried a strange object that made present technology nothing. Soon he was given his own lab and assistants, and created more of these bombs. One night, I went to him and charmed into telling me the secret of his ways. And guess what he said. Come on boys, guess!"

Al reluctantly answered. "That he was from another world?"

Dinah reached over and patted his head like a master would to his dog, smiling at him. "Very good, Alphonse!"

Al couldn't help but scowl at that. It gave him the impression that this woman thought him as unimportant.

"He said he was from another world, where no body appreciated science," she continued, amused. "But I told him that I did, and I'd love to hear about his ideas. I hired him to make bombs for me, telling him that I was a weapons manufacturer. He and his assistants moved into the basement of my castle and continued their experiments."

She sighed, looking sad. "I had thought that the bombs would be of use to me and my brothers and sisters, but I was wrong. They were just another weapon for war. Useless and unnecessary for us. So, I was prepared to 'let them go,' as you humans say. But unfortunately, one of them had discovered a secret of ours and was about to tell Huskisson and the others about it. I had to take drastic measures..."

_Flashback:_

_The room was dark, with only the moonlight glowing from the window like a spotlight. There, Huskisson stood in front of one of his assistants, along with his two other colleagues. The assistant's face was pale and his black hair was now gray. His eyes were wide as he recalled what he saw a resident of the castle do..._

_Suddenly, there was a faint rustle in the darkest part of the room. One of the men heard it and decided to investigate where it came from. His eyes widened from what he saw, but before he could scream a black blur grabbed his face with claw-like hands and pulled him forward._

_The group of men turned around when they heard sucking and crunching noises. The man who had been scarred let out a gasp and ran to the other side of the room, hiding under a table. Huskisson yelled back at him to calm down, he was a scientist. He tapped on of his colleagues on the shoulder and ordered him to investigate. The young man looked back at him with an "Are you crazy?" look. Huskisson scowled and pushed him forward._

_From the dark, the man's steps were heard. And then, he screamed. Loud sounds rang through the room. Most of them were sounds from the man and more were coming from something that sounded like a creature not of this world._

_From under the table, the man started crying shamelessly because he knew there was no hope. He heard a swish by his table, but it was too fast for him to see. The man clasped his hands, praying for the first, and last time of his life. Suddenly he felt something grasp his leg with long, cold knives for fingers. His scream was over shadowed by loud sounds of torn skin and smacking sounds._

_Huskisson, though he wasn't all there, switched on the light. He tried to hide it, but he was terrified. In the corner he saw one of his men sprawled on the floor eagle style. His throat was torn open and his head was lolled to the side, eyes and mouth open in frozen terror. Huskisson grimaced at the sight of the corpse and looked under the table where his other worker was hiding. Then, he abruptly heaved on the floor._

_A cold hand fell on his shoulder. Its fingers dug into his labcoat to his skin, drawing blood. The nails felt sharper than a bird's claw and ten times worse than a knife. Huskisson shakily turned his head to face his advesary..._

_And then he screamed._

_End Flashback _

Dinah burst out laughing, with various others in the room joining her. For some reason, hearing about death was like hearing a good joke. But Ed and Al weren't laughing. Instead, they gaped at her, both feeling shock and disgust.

"You..you killed him?" Al stammered.

"Why?!" Ed yelled indignantly. Sure, he thought Huskisson was crazy, but that didn't mean the guy deserved death.

Dinah finally calmed down. "I couldn't let him know our secret. Only those who are members of my orginization or close allies can know our secret. Any outsider who finds out must be wiped out immediately."

Ed narrowed his eyes. When she said "orginization," it gave him the feeling that he had heard it before.

"So, what is this orginization exactly?" he spat.

Dinah narrowed her eyes, smirking with amusement. "We are _Lilith Invictus_."

Ed and Al's eyes widened. The elder Elric stood up and gestured for his brother to do the same.

"I thought I told your old lady," Ed said with gritted teeth. "WE. ARE. NOT. INTERESTED!"

At that Ed walked quickly to the door, with Al following after. Fury was shown briefly in Dinah's eyes, but then she closed them forcing her to calm down. Her followers got up from their seats and crowded against the door blocking the only exit for the Elrics. She smiled, though she didn't see what her followers did. Her enhanced hearing gave hints to it. She got up and stared at the Elric brothers, who stood back to back as the men and women crowded around them in a circle.

"Somehow, we got in a dangerous situation," Al mused nervously. "How did this happen exactly?"

Ed shrugged, not taking his eyes off of the cult members. "I think it runs in our blood or something. Dad was in plenty of situations like this, I bet."

"So, basically you're saying we're cursed?"

"If you wanna out it _that_ way, then yeah, we're cursed."

"Well, that makes me feel _loads_ better."

"Oh, come on Al. We've been in worse situations then this."

"Yeah, but when we _were_, we had alchemy, I was a suit of armor and practically indestructible (save for my blood seal), and you had your automail arm and leg to help."

"... And I thought _you_ were the optimistic one." Ed quirked and eyebrow and turned to look at his brother.

Al looked back, smiling sheepishly despite the situation. "Well, you always did say that I had to be realistic at some point..."

"Are you two done with your witless banter, yet?" Dinah said in a bored voice.

She walked forward. The crowd parted to make the path clear for her. She stopped in front of Ed, smiling coldly down at him.

Ed scowled. "Hey, lady you mind? You're interrupting a family conversation here."

A vein throbbed visibly on Dinah's forehead, and her mouth was twitching. Ed would have laughed, but now was not the time. Al tried looking through the crowd, trying to find a way they could get through, when he was grabbed harshly by the arm by two waitresses. They were Grace and the girl who led the Elrics to their table. He struggled against them, but the two girls just looked at him with cold, empty eyes and gripped him harder. Their strength was almost inhuman.

Ed sensed the loss of his brother behind him and turned around. His eyes widened with worry.

"Al!" he shouted.

He was about to go to his brother, but froze when he saw the girls both bring out a gun and aim it at Al's head. They smirked at him, cruelty in their eyes, while he glared back. Al's eyes were filled with fear and close, obviously trying to hide the tears threatening to flow.

"Stay quiet, little cat," Grace whispered in Al's ear. "Otherwise I'll blow your brains out."

"I swear, if you two do anything to him I will fucking kill you both!" Ed yelled, furious. His cry fell on deaf ears because the girls just smirked at him. "Let him go!"

Dinah stepped up beside him. She leaned her mouth close to his ear, breathing icy breath against it.

"I can make them let him go. But you have to do exactly what I say."

Ed turned his head to her, glaring but not doing anything to defy her.

"What do you want?" he gritted out.

"I want you to come with me and open the Gate," Dinah said. "If you choose to come freely, then I'll let Al go. Once you're done, I'll set you free."

"And if I don't succeed?" Edward asked.

Dinah's face became blank. "You will be killed. And my followers will hunt Al down and kill him."

Ed lowered his head. If he refused to go, then Al would die. If he went and didn't succeed in opening up the Gate, then Al would die. But if he went with them and succeeded, Al would be alive, but he'd be trapped. He knew Dinah was lying. She didn't intend to set him free. She seemed to be like a little spoiled girl who would take hold of her favorite toy and never let him go. But she might let Al go and live, because she doesn't need him. Edward gulped and shakily exhaled. He lifted his head to stare at Dinah defiantly.

"I'll go with you. Just let Al go."

Dinah smirked and patted his head as if he was a dog. "Good boy."

Al wanted to protest, but Grace's threat scared him to no end. Once Ed made the deal with Dinah, he opened his mouth but felt the butt of Grace's gun hit him in the back of the head. The blow was so hard that he immediately fell unconcious.

* * *

The girl crouched near the side of the bar as they all came out. They followed their leader, Mistress, also known as Dinah Gardner to the public. There was no one else on the streets of Munich who could see them, or if there were, they didn't find it any unusual.

She cursed in her mind when she saw Edward following the crowd. He looked upset, but not as upset as the girl felt. Behind him, two girls wearing maid outfits walked holding the body of his brother. The girl recognized the redhead to be Grace and the other to be Raven. She cursed again, this time in a whisper. Those girls weren't just two young members of Dinah's cult, they were _the_ members of Dinah's cult. If they had Elric's brother, then that can't be good.

'The older Elric must not know,' she reasoned. She sat on the ground and thumped the back of her head against the wall of the bar. 'Damn, what do I do now? I know I should rescue Elric, but what about his brother?'

She looked back and noticed that Dinah was leading Edward into a car that had just arrived. He looked at it warily and then got inside. Dinah approached Raven and Grace and talked to them, pointing in the way Ed and his brother had come. It looked like she was saying to take him home, but the girl knew better. Her lip reading skills weren't that good, but she could make out the words, "hut" and "car."

The members of the cult split up when Dinah left in her car with Edward. They either walked home, if it was nearby, or they went to where their car was parked. Once everyone left, Grace and Raven got into a car and put Al in the back seat. Then they drove in the direction of the "Feeding Hut."

The girl jumped out from where she was hiding, and then ran to her motorcycle hiding in the bushes. It was a black, 1923 BMW R32 with a shift-drive, boxer twin engine (1). It was something her grandfather bought her from America. It was a good thing she wasn't wearing a dress because other wise she'd be in trouble. She got on the orange seat and looked in the direction Ed had gone.

"Sorry, Elric," she said quietly. "I'll get you soon."

She started up the engine and rode off in the direction Al had been taken to.

* * *

Kitty Kat2009: Oh, god. I think my fingers hurt. Oh, well...

1. the picture is here: upload./wikipedia/commons/d/df/R32-pn.jpg

Note: I hope this was better than the first. If you feel I did something wrong, I spologize and ask you to tell me, without flaming. Thank you and have a nice day!


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